


what the rainy days bring us

by blushingprince



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Artist AU, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, the cafe au we deserve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-07-07
Packaged: 2018-07-22 02:55:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7416871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blushingprince/pseuds/blushingprince
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>in which Leo and Takumi meet in a cafe and bond over having big families and being artists<br/>______</p><p>                     I shouldn’t ask for his number, right? I just met him. Takumi bit his lip and looked at his options. He might never    see this guy again. And he knew how his own luck was with this kind of thing. It was just a downhill ride from middle school.</p>
            </blockquote>





	what the rainy days bring us

It was a wet afternoon when Leo decided to stop off by the cafe. The roof looked in need of repair; raindrops made their way through the planks. The old style window panes were striking and invited a sense of warmth to the building. Leo had forgotten his umbrella and had been riding public transit that day. Cursing himself, he entered. The powerful aroma of coffee attacked his senses alongside the chatter of people. Leo preferred to be something of a loner; even though he had recently graduated college he would frequent libraries and musical recitals alone. Obviously, there were family gatherings and parties to attend to, but, he never kept too many people with him. Cafes were not off limits; if he had a book it was better, but this one was horribly crowded.

The blonde boy frowned to himself and adjusted his headband. His shirtsleeves were fairly wet, so this might be the best place to dry off. He approached the coffee counter and requested a house coffee. Only putting one sugar in his coffee, he almost forsook the idea of finding somewhere to sit. Sit among all these strangers? He chewed on his lip. Something to read, he needed something to read.

From the corner of his eye, he saw newspapers being sold. Not his favorite selection, mind you, but he got one anyway. Money wasn’t an issue. He scrunched himself onto a seat at one of the tables and soon enough he forgot most of his complaints in his news read.

An hour or two trickled by. Leo was reading about stocks. He had gotten a refill already since the coffee wasn't the worst thing he ever tried. He decided to stretch his limbs some; it was stuffy and many people had left.

“Ouch!”

The blonde boy looked dumbly in the direction of whatever voice he heard.

“Look where you’re moving!”

Leo stared blankly at the boy talking to him. What? _What?_

“I’m sorry are you speaking to me?” he articulated in a monotone voice.

“Yes, you! Look where you’re going ok you almost messed up my artwork” the other boy spat out.

Leo scrunched his nose and looked towards where the boy was hiding his hands. “It’s not bad”

A dusty pink rose to the boy’s cheeks. “No one asked you!”

“Okay. Well, I’m going to go back to my newspaper” he sure had a lot of attitude. And what odd hair.

The other boy huffed and folded his arms, clearly perturbed. Leo eyed him from the corner. What did he want?

But what did Leo care? It’s not like he involved himself with other people. He had two or so good friends that he talked to now and then and that was all he needed. And he had his siblings. Why bother with a random man in a cafe? He had nothing to gain.

The blonde man flattened his newspaper out on the table and smoothed the wrinkles. He made a side glance for the boy with the strange hair.

“Did you need help with your work?” okay that sounded great.

He turned towards Leo and Leo could see at this point all the eraser marks.

“I think” he began, “I have art block”

“Not that I’m a bad artist” he added.

Leo breathed in. He was familiar with this process as he was a creative writer. Though he didn’t want to reveal that. He didn’t intend to get to know this person, just perhaps help them out.

“Maybe you need fresh content” he offered.  
“Though I don’t really know what it’s like to draw”

“It’s not easy” the boy boasted. “I’m a junior at the college and even though the year just started the teachers are brutal”

_Wait. I’m not supposed to get to know you._

“So are you having some sort of project? Is that what you’re having trouble with?”

“Well it’s not that I’m having _trouble_ I just ran out of ideas”

Leo paused. “That’s the same thing”

“Okay, maybe I’m having sort of a hard time but….”

“But?”

“I’ll get over it! And also, you’re kind of an ass”

 _Didn’t I just help him?_ Leo was taken aback but a smirk formed on his face.  
“You just need a bit more of a backbone”

“Uh….yeah….”

Leo got up to leave, pushing his chair in and folding his newspaper neatly.

He felt someone tapping gently on his shoulder.

“Do you come here often?” It was the boy again.

Now he was just perplexed. Why would this guy want to know that?

“I’m afraid I don’t. It just happened to be on the way.”

Grey haired boy looked like he was wrinkling his nose and questioning himself. He gave Leo a smile.

“My name’s Takumi. It was nice meeting you.”

Uh. “Yea. Pleasure. I’m Leo” _I always sound so cheery._

_______________

The next few days at work went by with relative ease. Leo always slipped into his schedule without a problem. He had moved out of his parents’ house during college and got a small apartment. It wasn’t uncomfortable but not big enough for the piano he wanted. He settled for a stand-up.

Leo received money from his father, regardless of if he worked or not. He was immaculate at handling his finances, and somehow, his housework. The flat was almost spotless and smelled of clean laundry. He thought of getting a pet from time to time but it would be too much of a bother to clean up after. There was only him, and he did make meals for himself when he didn’t eat out.

Of course, he did have his friends Niles and Odin. They knew each other from a young age and some of the only people Leo trusted well. They relentlessly teased him but it was all well. His siblings also visited, always commenting on how bare and white everything was. Since then, the blond had purchased some artwork and hung it up.  
He didn’t want anything outside of his tastes.

Clean was better right? A clean life, a simpler one.

It was mid afternoon on a weekend and Leo was dozing off on his bed. The midday sun spilled in from his windows and warmed him up. He had abandoned his book for snoozing.

He awoke to a memory. A face. A man smiling at him. Why remember that?

His name was Takumi, right?

But Leo didn’t need anything else in his life. He had his internship, his apartment, his few friends, his family, his piano.

_It was nice to meet you._

Looking back at the time, wasn’t the boy - Takumi - sort of embarrassed? His face kept turning pink. That happened with girls a lot, not usually boys.

Well, it’s not like he would see him again. Unless he went to that cafe again, if he even knew how to get there again. And there’s no guarantee that Takumi would even be there. Then again, why did Leo want to even talk to him?

_______

On his way back from work the next day, Leo took a different bus route, perchance he could get some good coffee. Nothing unusual. He had gotten off early.

_Maybe I’m overdressed? Well, I’m not wearing a suit jacket._

The coffee seemed even better than before and he sat down ready to begin a new book. His new edition of _Paradise Lost_ had just arrived. Leo loved the classics; it was what he read as a teenager and what inspired him to write in the beginning.

The book just seemed so good that he forgot what he might’ve been there for. He looked up and saw a familiar face sitting across from him. Oh.

Rather than saying hello, he watched Takumi draw for a few minutes. He was using charcoal and had some sort of latte on the side. By the time Takumi looked up, Leo forgot he was staring.

Takumi blushed pale pink. “Hi”

Leo took a sip of his coffee. “Hello. Does this mean your art block is cured?”

It seemed like Takumi used this opportunity to put the charcoal down and fidget with his hands. “Well, I’ve been going around looking for people to draw”

“Seems like a good idea”

They were both silent for a moment. It passed awkwardly.

“I don’t draw but” _no Leo why are you talking_ about _yourself,_ “I write. And I play the piano”

Takumi’s eyes lit up. “That’s so cool? What do you write? Is that what you do?”  
“Yeah I graduated last spring for creative writing. I’m doing an internship right now”

“Cool. The college right here? I’m going there for arts. Wait so how old are you?”

“I’m 23. What about you?”

“21”

Leo snorted.

“Wha -? Do I not look my age?”

“Hmm... you do have a bit of a baby face, but it’s just funny how you said it”

Takumi folded his arms and sulked. “That’s what all my siblings say”

It was Leo this time who asked. “Do you have a big family?”

“An older brother plus three sisters and two parents” he sighed.

“Wow. I don’t meet many people who have as many siblings as me.” Leo rubbed his chin

“Yea, me neither.”

They continued talking for the next hour or two while Takumi drew. More coffee and sustenance were purchased. Takumi suggested the cafe had excellent muffins, which turned out to be true.

Eight pm rolled around and Leo read while Takumi scrolled through his phone.

 _I shouldn’t ask for his number, right? I just met him._ Takumi bit his lip and looked at his options. He might never see this guy again. And he knew how his own luck was with this kind of thing. It was just a downhill ride from middle school.

Leo yawned and stretched his limbs haphazardly. “I shouldn’t be so sleepy if I’d had that much caffeine”

He heard the other boy laughing with him.

“Hey,” Takumi began, “do you wanna hang out again?”

Leo blinked once, twice, three times. “Sure. What’s your phone number”

____________

Leo went home feeling giddy. He hadn’t made a friend like that in he didn’t know how long. He felt refreshed to converse with someone like that. They could talk about intellectual things but be silly! It was amazing! He was hesitant at first to let anyone in his life but…..maybe this could be good. He just had to make sure not to get too close.

_________

Takumi’s heart beat hard from the second that day ended. He knew he thought Leo was cute from the moment he saw him. But he had acted like a total ass. Clearly, it was a one-sided thing but Leo had given him his phone number so that was _something._ Oh God, he was really sweet.

 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to everyone who read but I won't be writing any more


End file.
